Kirk Cousins is playing a game he cannot lose

In 2016, Kirk Cousins earned just under 20 million dollars. In 2017, he’s currently scheduled to earn just under 24 million dollars.

I thought the franchise tag was bad for the players?

Assuming he plays out this season under the tag – again – he’ll become a free agent in 2018 – again. What happens then? First of all, the Redskins have the option to retain him – again. For Kirk, this is like the movie Groundhog Day. Except instead of having to learn the true meaning of happiness to escape, he’s winning the lottery. And every day the jackpot is getting bigger.

The Redskins will have two options – the franchise tag which will cost around $35m, and the transition tag which comes in at close to $28m. Clearly the former is never going to happen, and as expensive as the latter seems, it is in play.

Just process this for a second – $20m in 2016, $24m in 2016, $28m in 2017. Through the first four years of Cousins’ career, he earned $2.5m. Over the following three, he could be on course to earn SEVENTY TWO MILLION DOLLARS.

And as eye-wateringly absurd as that seems, barring any season-ending injuries, this is the worst case scenario. If the Redskins don’t tag him for a third time, he enters true free agency as a proven 29-year-old Quarterback in his prime. Did I mention jackpot?

The Redskins lease on their luxury city apartment is coming to an end – if they don’t arrange a mortgage to stay, it will turn out to be the most expensive rental in NFL history.